Celebrity TV Chef reveals husband of 38 years was killed during a robbery; says she is slowly finding her way back to work
ETimes | July 16, 2026 3:39 PM CST
Celebrity chef and TV personality Parveen Ashraf , more famously known as “Parveen the Spice Queen,” has spoken about the loss of her husband of nearly 40 years, who was shot during a robbery in Ghana . Ashraf, who has been living in Ghana since the 1990s, opened up publicly about the tragedy months after it happened.
The 61-year-old star, best known for hosting the ITV cooking series, Parveen's Indian Kitchen , returned to social media after a long break with an emotional message about why she had stepped away from work. In a heartfelt Instagram video, Ashraf revealed she lost her husband “about six months ago” and was only now feeling ready to return to her professional life. “I had a personal tragedy and I lost my husband about six months ago,” she said in the video, adding that anyone who has experienced the loss of a loved one would understand the depth of such grief. She admits the pain is still crushing but said she thinks her late husband would not have wanted her to wallow in grief and would have urged her to go on.
Husband shot during a robbery
Ashraf only recently spoke publicly about the loss, but she first shared details in a Facebook tribute in December 2025. In the emotional post she revealed her husband Qamar Ashraf was “tragically and suddenly taken from us” after being caught up in a robbery in Ghana. He was “in the wrong place at the wrong time”, she said, adding he was an intelligent, quiet and witty man with a powerful presence who was much loved by his family. The couple had been married for 38 years and had three children. Qamar Ashraf was reportedly shot dead during an attempted phone robbery in the city of Tema in November 2025. He was attacked by armed robbers and suffered fatal injuries, reports said. Ghanaian authorities said: He died later in hospital. The UK’s Foreign Office has confirmed his death and said it is offering support to his family.
Returning to work after inconceivable loss
Ashraf also said in her Instagram video that she did not know what going back to work would look like. Grief had made it difficult to think about cooking, filming recipes or getting involved with followers she said but hoped getting back into work would help her cope. “The pain of losing someone you love is all-consuming,” she wrote later, alongside photographs of the couple, adding she hoped returning to work would help her to preserve her own sense of normalcy while honouring her husband’s memory. The chef also shared a photo of the duo together on the River Thames taken decades ago, recalling the day with vivid clarity despite the years in between.
She shared family photographs from throughout their life together in another tribute, speaking of their ongoing connection. “I always promised to follow him wherever life would lead him, and that promise has never been more true than now,” she wrote, after his death.
Fans pour in overwhelming response
Ashraf’s emotional revelation prompted an outpouring of support from followers, many of whom expressed their condolences her and told her to take whatever time she needed. Some messages congratulated her on the bravery of speaking about her grief in public, while others praised her for deciding to return to posting recipes and cooking videos as this would probably help her heal faster. Ashraf later said she was "pleasantly surprised" by the warmth and kindness of supporters after speaking about her husband's death.
Parveen Ashraf is one of the best-known faces of Indian cooking on British television. Since 2019, she has been fronting ITV’s Parveen’s Indian Kitchen, in which she combines family stories and food in her introduction to regional Indian recipes and traditional cooking methods to viewers. Outside of television, she is also a well-known advocate of authentic Indian cooking in the UK and has authored cookbooks including Parveen's Family Favourites and Parveen the Spice Queen. Her decision to go back to work is part of a step-by-step process of rebuilding her life after an unimaginable loss – while continuing to cherish the memory of the man with whom she spent 38 years, she said.
The 61-year-old star, best known for hosting the ITV cooking series, Parveen's Indian Kitchen , returned to social media after a long break with an emotional message about why she had stepped away from work. In a heartfelt Instagram video, Ashraf revealed she lost her husband “about six months ago” and was only now feeling ready to return to her professional life. “I had a personal tragedy and I lost my husband about six months ago,” she said in the video, adding that anyone who has experienced the loss of a loved one would understand the depth of such grief. She admits the pain is still crushing but said she thinks her late husband would not have wanted her to wallow in grief and would have urged her to go on.
Husband shot during a robbery
Ashraf only recently spoke publicly about the loss, but she first shared details in a Facebook tribute in December 2025. In the emotional post she revealed her husband Qamar Ashraf was “tragically and suddenly taken from us” after being caught up in a robbery in Ghana. He was “in the wrong place at the wrong time”, she said, adding he was an intelligent, quiet and witty man with a powerful presence who was much loved by his family. The couple had been married for 38 years and had three children. Qamar Ashraf was reportedly shot dead during an attempted phone robbery in the city of Tema in November 2025. He was attacked by armed robbers and suffered fatal injuries, reports said. Ghanaian authorities said: He died later in hospital. The UK’s Foreign Office has confirmed his death and said it is offering support to his family.
Returning to work after inconceivable loss
Ashraf also said in her Instagram video that she did not know what going back to work would look like. Grief had made it difficult to think about cooking, filming recipes or getting involved with followers she said but hoped getting back into work would help her cope. “The pain of losing someone you love is all-consuming,” she wrote later, alongside photographs of the couple, adding she hoped returning to work would help her to preserve her own sense of normalcy while honouring her husband’s memory. The chef also shared a photo of the duo together on the River Thames taken decades ago, recalling the day with vivid clarity despite the years in between.
She shared family photographs from throughout their life together in another tribute, speaking of their ongoing connection. “I always promised to follow him wherever life would lead him, and that promise has never been more true than now,” she wrote, after his death.
Fans pour in overwhelming response
Ashraf’s emotional revelation prompted an outpouring of support from followers, many of whom expressed their condolences her and told her to take whatever time she needed. Some messages congratulated her on the bravery of speaking about her grief in public, while others praised her for deciding to return to posting recipes and cooking videos as this would probably help her heal faster. Ashraf later said she was "pleasantly surprised" by the warmth and kindness of supporters after speaking about her husband's death.
Parveen Ashraf is one of the best-known faces of Indian cooking on British television. Since 2019, she has been fronting ITV’s Parveen’s Indian Kitchen, in which she combines family stories and food in her introduction to regional Indian recipes and traditional cooking methods to viewers. Outside of television, she is also a well-known advocate of authentic Indian cooking in the UK and has authored cookbooks including Parveen's Family Favourites and Parveen the Spice Queen. Her decision to go back to work is part of a step-by-step process of rebuilding her life after an unimaginable loss – while continuing to cherish the memory of the man with whom she spent 38 years, she said.
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